Haunted
by Anorak Myth
Summary: When a ghostly figure appears to Sakura one night, she is forced to follow him. And now, she must cope with the her love's tragic past and the ghosts that still haunt him, or herself be lost to the world. Shippuuden fic. HIATUS, not abandoned
1. Voices

Note: Revisions added.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto does.

Haunted

Chapter 1: Voices  


A cold wind blew across Konohagakure, The Village Hidden In The Leaves. Some of the more superstitious villagers thought it an omen, for it left a trail of cherry blossoms in its wake. A certain pink-haired kunoichi (1) thought it delightful regardless.

She smiled brightly as she walked down the street, heading home after a long day working at the hospital. The strong wind blew her pink locks about in a wild manner. She heard the cheerful laughter of children and turned to urge them to go home, it was quite late for them to be outside. But when she turned, there was no one.

_It's late. I must have been imagining things._ She told herself firmly. But she couldn't't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. Looking around one last time, she turned and continued on her way home.

It wasn't long before she felt a gentle tug on her skirt. She glanced down, expecting to see a lost child. But once again, there was no one there. She looked around her again, after all, the child could've become frightened and run off. But she hadn't heard footsteps, and thee was clearly no one there.

The wind howled and she continued home, albeit at a much faster pace. She stopped and turned once again when she heard a voice.

"Go home…" The wind moaned.

"H-hello?" Now she _knew_ something was up.

"Run…" She was going to _kill_ Naruto for this one.

"I know it's you, Naruto. It's not funny. Where are you?" She demanded angrily. The _nerve_ of that boy.

"You are in...grave danger…" The moan came again.

_He's _dead_. I'm going to _murder _him._

"Naruto. Knock. It. Off." She hissed.

"My s-son…" The voice moaned. She realized with a sickening thought that it sounded like the owner of the voice was dying. Like they could have been bleeding to their death at that very moment.

"Naruto, _please_. It's not funny. You're scaring me." She pleaded.

"He comes…"

She turned and ran.

* * *

_It was just Naruto. He was playing a dirty joke. Tomorrow, he'll apologize and it'll all be fine._ She assured herself as she changed into her nightgown, back in her apartment. But she had to be sure. 

She threw open her window and leaned out, letting the wind caress her face. Her nightgown billowed softly about her feet. Her emerald green eyes looked out at the village, lit only by the moon. There was no one there, the streets were empty. She smiled softly to herself and moved to shut her window.

"Sa-ku-ra," she heard the whisper. She froze before looking about wildly.

"W-who's there? Show yourself!"

"Sa-ku-ra…" The eerie whisper came again, sending chills down her spine. A ghostly silhouette was beginning to form in front of her.

_Shut the window. Run. Get Naruto. Hell, get _Kakashi_ if you have to! But do_ something, _dammit!_ Inner Sakura screamed. But Sakura couldn't move. Instead, she stood frozen, watching as the cherry blossoms swirled around it. Or him, as the form was clearly masculine.

"Sa-ku-ra…" The whisper came once again as he extended a hand toward her. Her stomach flipped as she realized she could see the floor through it. But she found she couldn't resist putting her own in his, as though she'd lost control of her own body. The instant their hands touched, her eyes glazed and she found herself following him out her second-story window (2) and into the dark night.

They floated slowly to the ground and Sakura noticed that although she thought it might be the case, she was rather unnerved when his feet made no sound at all upon contacting with the ground. He dropped her hand. She wanted to run; she wanted to throw a kunai at the man (boy?) and run home screaming. But she found she still couldn't move of her own free will – and she'd left her kunai pouch, along with all her weapons, at her apartment. So she'd no choice but to continue following him. She noted mournfully that she probably wouldn't get any sleep that night.

* * *

_Where are we going?_ Inner Sakura questioned nervously. But Sakura found herself unable to tell, for she could only see what lay directly in front of her, as though she were wearing blinders (3). All she could tell was that they were near the Uchiha district, for it lay some three hundred odd feet from where they were then, straight ahead. And then, minutes later, they stopped, the gate to the Uchiha district looming in front of them. And the figure turned. His silhouette was slowly becoming clearer. He was definitely a boy, probably around Sakura's age. Black hair was becoming visible on his head. Along with pale skin that had nothing to do with the boy's being transparent. And cold, onyx eyes she'd recognize anywhere. 

"Sasuke-kun…" And he vanished, leaving her standing all alone, with the gate looming ominously before her.

* * *

(1) Kunoichi Female Ninja 

(2) I have no idea what story Sakura's apartment is on. If you know, please tell me.

(3) Blinders are those things they put on horses so they won't look to the side and be distracted. They can only see directly in front of them. You know how when you wear glasses (actual glasses, not sunglasses) it's all blurry outside of the rims? It's kind of like that, but if you were wearing blinders you wouldn't be able to see any of the blurry part. Hope that clears things up a bit.

For those of you who couldn't tell for sure, this should turn out at least somewhat SasuSaku by the end, so if you don't like that pairing, you've been warned.

What'd you think? I hope it wasn't _too_ bad. I did try. Please let me know if you found any spelling/grammatical errors. I tried to correct them all, but I might have missed a few. Also, English _is_ my native language, so spare me the pity, please. I've no excuse for making stupid errors.

Was Sakura OOC? I couldn't tell. This is set in shippuuden, for those of you who didn't read the summary. So she should act accordingly. Sasuke wasn't meant to be in character all that much. He's just there to guide her to the compound, though he might come into play later, I haven't decided yet. If he does, I'll try to keep him in character. Am I confusing you? If I am, I'm sorry. It'll all be clear in time but if I told you now it'd ruin the story. Which would be _bad_.

Reviews: I accept _all_ of them. Flames, constructive criticism, anything. If you flame me, I swear on my life I won't flame you back, no matter how much I want to. Flame wars don't sound fun. And constructive criticism is AWESOME. There is a very clear line between a flame and constructive criticism (or at least it's clear to me). The difference is, while both may say "this sucks," in constructive criticism the reviewer tells the author _why_ it sucks. Also, in constructive criticism they don't tell you to commit suicide. I won't mistake one for the other. Reviews are great, even if they're really short like "good job" or "this sucks." (Though I'd much prefer the former to the latter.)

I'll probably post the next chapter within the next few days. (Key word: probably.) I haven't started writing it yet, though, so I'm not entirely sure how long it'll take. It all depends on how easy/hard it is to write and how many revisions I have to make to this chapter.

Out of curiosity, how many of you actually read all that? If you did, great, but if you didn't, I understand completely. That was _long_. Bye now!


	2. Within The Uchiha District

Note: Revisions added.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 2: Within The Uchiha District

Sakura stood alone in front of the gate to the Uchiha district. Now she had a choice: should she enter the district or run home?

If she entered, she could be attacked – or she could find that it was all a joke. (If, indeed, it was a joke, she assured herself, there'd be hell to pay.)

If she ran, she might never know – or someone else could be tricked and attacked, possibly even killed because of her cowardice.

_It's only genjutsu._ She told herself firmly.

_We could be under attack!_ Inner Sakura yelled.

_I'm overreacting. It's. Just. Genjutsu._ She assured herself. But, at the same time, she knew Naruto would never hurt her. Not like this, at least. He knew how much she loved Sasuke, and he knew how badly it had hurt her when he left. He wouldn't rub salt in the wound – and if it were Naruto, he'd have let up when she ran home in terror. And wouldn't he have been delighted to see her after coming home from his mission? It all led her to the same conclusion: it wasn't Naruto who'd led her to the Uchiha district. Which had to someone had lured her there with dark intentions at heart.

Sakura swallowed nervously. She desperately wished she wasn't alone. She wouldn't have been anywhere near this frightened if Naruto or Kakashi was there with her. If Tsunade was with her she wouldn't even be nervous. But she was on her own this time. So she took a deep breath and set her face with a look of firm resolve. And with one last look around, Sakura pushed hard against the gates to the Uchiha district and stepped inside.

* * *

Naruto trudged slowly through the village. His most recent mission had been long and tiring. In Naruto's personal opinion, it _sucked_. But at least it was over. 

_I bet Sakura-chan will be happy to see me!_ The thought came unbidden, but it cheered Naruto greatly. He found it hard to think of missions when Team Seven came to mind. Unfortunately, thinking of Team Seven inevitably got him thinking of Sasuke.

_Sakura-chan still misses him._ He thought morosely as he rounded the corner. But what he saw next banished all coherent thoughts from his head.

* * *

Sakura was greeted in the Uchiha district by lights. A rather large number of them, considering the district should have been deserted. A few people – Uchihas, judging by the dark hair the dark hair and eyes – walked leisurely through the streets. 

_But that's impossible!_ She thought wildly. _Sasuke-kun was the last Uchiha!_ Other than Itachi, but he'd betrayed the clan, now hadn't he? So he didn't count in Sakura's book.

"Are you lost, dearie?" (1) She looked up to see a middle-aged woman smiling down at her in a motherly fashion.

_Look for Sasuke-kun._ Inner Sakura demanded. So Sakura put on her cutest most childlike face, nodding.

"I-I'm looking f-for Uchiha S-Sasuke." She thought the stutter was a nice touch. And evidently it worked, because the woman's face immediately brightened.

"That's my nephew!" She exclaimed (2). "Just follow me, I'm headed in that direction anyhow."

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, racing toward the unmoving girl. Dropping down beside her, he gingerly lifted her head into his lap. He held one hand a few inches from her mouth, checking for breath (3). He let out a sigh of relief when he felt her warm breath against his skin. But she still hadn't woken up. 

_Shit! What am I gonna do!_ He cursed mentally. _Think! …I know! I'll take her to Tsunade-baachan!_ And he was off, running toward the hospital with his unconscious teammate in his arms. (Bridal style. He shuddered to think of what she'd do to him if she ever found out.)

* * *

Sakura quietly followed the woman who, Sakura had decided, was either an airhead or an amazing actress. Possibly both. Really, what kind of an idiot would tell a complete stranger so much about their clan? Sakura could have understood if it was a much smaller, less secretive, less powerful clan but the Uchiha clan was one of the strongest clans in all of Konoha! The only clan that rivaled it was the Hyuuga clan, and_ they_ certainly weren't this friendly.

Of everything Sakura had found out thus far, she found nothing that told her how the hell she was currently listening to a ghost speak, much less following one through the Uchiha district. She had found out, however, what was likely part of the reason Sasuke could never let his past go. Itachi had been his role model. He'd looked up to his big brother. He was his idol. To Sasuke, Itachi was _God_. So to see him kill his entire clan…

_He must have died on the inside._ The thought came unbidden and Sakura felt her heart go out to the little boy who'd watched his clan's slaughter.

The woman continued talking, not seeming to notice Sakura'd stopped listening. And because she'd stopped listening, she nearly crashed into the woman when they stopped.

"Well, here we are." The woman smiled at her.

"T-thank you." Sakura stuttered, startled. The woman just kept smiling and turned, walking away. Something was definitely off - Sakura just couldn't pinpoint what. But she knew she'd have to either tread carefully or _run like hell_.

She wanted to find out what in the world was going on, however, so she raised a hand to the door and knocked sharply.

_One. Two. Three…Ten…Fifteen…Thirty…Sixty…_ A full minute had passed, and the door had yet to be opened. Sakura sighed deeply, perhaps it really _was_ all a joke. But she had hoped…The door slid open.

"Hello?" A woman stood there.

"I-I'm looking for someone. I was told I'd find him here." Her voice seemed to grow more confident as she spoke. She watched the woman's facial reaction. A look of mild surprise flashed across briefly, before settling back into a calm, composed expression.

"Might I ask who?" The response was polite and formal.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sakura stated simply. The woman's next look was one of utter shock and confusion. And then it settled into something else entirely, an emotion which took Sakura a moment to place. Protectiveness. Sakura had no doubt this was Sasuke's mother.

"And you are?" Her reply was somewhat steely, as though she feared the girl was there to take away her youngest child.

"Haruno Sakura. His teammate." She added, seeing the blank look the woman was giving her.

For a moment, there was silence. And then realization dawned on the woman's face.

"Come inside, quickly." The urgent note in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Sakura as the woman hurried her into the house, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

(1) I seem to have some strange obsession with writing ghosts saying "dearie." I guess I just think it's kinda creepy and disturbing. 

(2) I'm guessing that, since the Uchiha clan was so large, Sasuke had quite a few aunts, uncles, and cousins. So there's a decent chance Sakura'd run into one of them.

(3) I'm assuming that Naruto has at least some basic knowledge of this stuff. Whether he learned it from Kakashi, Iruka, Jiraiya, or just learned it on his own. I mean, really, it's common sense.

I just watched a clip on youtube the other day with the massacre and Sasuke's reaction. The part where he heard a sound and thought it was his mom brought tears to my eyes. Poor Sasuke!

I know that still nothing much has happened, but it will. Eventually. Really, it should start getting pretty weird and possibly somewhat disturbing (though not to the point of where it could be considered horror – horror's scary) in a few chapters.

Alright, that's done. I can't believe I added on a whole new scene, near 500 words. I think that makes this an okay length. If not, I'm sorry, but the next chapter will be out soon.

Oh, one more thing. I don't know a lot about Mikoto, so did anyone think she was OOC? I thought she seemed kind of off, but I also figured the massacre would've changed her. Lemme know what you guys think though. I don't think you can review this, so please either PM me or tell me in a review of the next chapter.


	3. Their Secret

Note: If you haven't already read my add-on to chapter two, go back and read it now!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 3: Their Secret

_"Come inside, quickly." The urgent note in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Sakura as the woman hurried her into the house, shutting the door behind her._

The woman ushered Sakura through the house, out of the main room and into a room which Sakura noted had a sutra pinned above the door. She shut the door quietly, as though not to alert anyone who might have been listening.

"No one's been in here for years." The woman told her, seeing her look of confusion. But that only made Sakura more confused.

"Why?"

"Itachi." That was more than enough of an answer for Sakura. She glanced around, it looked rather…normal. For a ninja, at least. She'd always thought someone like Itachi would have a more menacing or intimidating room. But Itachi's room was almost welcoming. In fact, lying on the ground only a few feet from the door was a teddy bear. (Sasuke's, no doubt.) Sakura also noticed that although the woman claimed no one had been in the room for years, there was not a speck of dust in sight. Therefore, she deduced, _someone_ must have been inside. Probably the woman, it was her house after all.

_Itachi was her son. Naturally she'd want to keep it clean for him._ Sakura felt a pang in her heart as she realized that even then, years later, the woman must have still been waiting for her eldest child's return.

"No one will find you here, but you must be very careful. Do not leave this room for any reason, do you understand?" The woman's voice was firm, but not unkind. Sakura nodded and the woman visibly relaxed. She sat down on the bed, motioning for Sakura to take a seat beside her.

"I am Uchiha Mikoto. I appealed to you to return home before you were brought here, if you recall." (1) Her voice was soft, gentle.

"What do you mean 'before I was brought here?'" Sakura found herself more and more confused the longer she was in the Uchiha district. She figured it was probably a side effect of being surrounded by ghosts, of all things.

"Sasuke led you here, didn't he? You never should've opened your window." Mikoto gave her an accusing look.

"Would that have made a difference?" Sakura was doubtful.

"Yes, it would have. He'd have been unable to reach you if you'd just stayed inside, out of harm's way. But we can't change the past." She sounded almost bitter, and Sakura decided it was probably because of Itachi.

"But can't ghosts travel through walls?" After all, that was what all the stories said.

"Of course. But a person can only be a ghost if they're already dead. Sasuke is still alive." Mikoto was sure of that, at least. Her little boy still showed no signs of knowing that his brother had betrayed the clan. Until he did, Mikoto knew that Sasuke was still alive, somewhere.

"Before, when you came to me, you said I was in 'grave danger.' What did you mean by that?" Sakura asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Haruno-san, do you know how this clan still exists, years after its destruction?"

"…No, I can't say that I do." Although she was very curious.

"Each year, the clan requires a new power source. That source must be living, a soul pulled directly from a body. When you came here, you left your body at the gate." Mikoto watched the girl closely for her reaction to the news.

Sakura looked down at herself immediately and nearly screamed when she realized that she was, indeed, transparent. She looked back up at Mikoto in fear.

"The process is still reversible, it's not too late to go back. But you must do so soon or your body will die and your soul will be unable to return. You will be the new power source. You have until the next new moon to return to the world of the living. But if you fail to leave by that time, I'm afraid you'll be trapped here with the rest of us." Mikoto told her gently.

"And if I leave before the new moon?"

"Your soul will return to your body and the Uchiha clan will die once and for all."

"You'll all die?" Sakura repeated with a questioning air, hoping she'd heard wrong. Mikoto laughed softly.

"We're already dead. We simply have yet to depart this world for good."

"But…" Sakura started, but trailed off, realizing she didn't know what to say.

"Sakura." Mikoto addressed the girl by name. "I am dead. My last wish is to leave this world for the next. Is it too much for a dead woman to ask to be allowed to rest in peace?"

* * *

When a voice frantically yelling "Tsunade-baa-chan!" had abruptly awakened Tsunade from her rather drunken sleep, the poor woman was predictably startled. As such, she accidentally knocked over her bottle of sake. (It was anyone's guess how she'd managed not to do so before.) Somehow, she miraculously came to her senses within mere moments and reached for the bottle in front of her with both hands, but, alas, it was too late. And so, when the owner of the voice came in, he found the great Fifth Hokage glaring darkly at the paperwork that _dared_ to soak up her precious alcohol (2). 

"There's another wasted bottle of sake." Tsunade muttered bitterly. Naruto blinked, before remembering why he'd run all the way to the Hokage Tower in the first place.

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" He yelled again. The woman looked up at him sharply, about to rebuke him, when she noticed the still figure in the boy's arms.

_Sakura._ She recognized her young apprentice with a feeling of dread building in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

"So you're saying I only imagined that Sasuke came to me?" Sakura questioned, not sure if she'd correctly understood what Mikoto had been trying to tell her. The older woman shook her head. 

"No. You love Sasuke – don't try to deny it, I'm a ghost, and a mother besides, don't you think I can tell when you're lying to me? You love him, and so you were guided here by him. It's an old trick, anyone will follow a lost loved one, even to a place like the Uchiha district." Mikoto's response was calm, with a motherly air about it.

"You mean it wasn't really Sasuke?" Now Sakura was confused. Mikoto sighed.

"In a sense, it was Sasuke, but at the same time, it wasn't. Understand?" Mikoto knew the girl probably didn't, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

"No, not really." And she didn't. How could she?

"Think of it this way. It was late at night. Sasuke was sleeping. When a person sleeps, their dreams can take them far, far away. You and Sasuke are connected, after all you've been through together. So, while Sasuke was dreaming, he was manipulated to reach you. Now do you understand?" (3) Mikoto asked hopefully.

"I think so. But why me?" Weren't there plenty of other people with lost loved ones? Sakura certainly wasn't the only one.

"Sasuke is an Uchiha. Because you love him, you could fuel the clan for at least a decade." Mikoto tried to explain it to the girl as simply as possible.

"But I thought you said the clan is fueled by life energy, what does love have to do with anything?" Sakura knew she probably sounded stupid, but she needed to know. After all, her love hadn't even been enough to make Sasuke stay, how could it possibly be enough to keep an entire clan in suspended animation?

"You'd be surprised at the power of unfulfilled love." (4) Mikoto's reply was undeniably sorrowful, and Sakura could see the pain shining in the woman's eyes.

* * *

Tsunade frowned deeply as she stared at the pink-haired girl laying on the bed in front of her. Physically, there was nothing wrong with the girl. She appeared to be in a deep sleep. But that was the catch. Sakura was definitely _not_ sleeping. 

The closest Tsunade could get to Sakura's condition was a coma. Indeed, that was what she planned to tell anyone who asked. Even Naruto and Kakashi. After all, she couldn't tell them she didn't know. They'd worry even more than they already going to.

Tsunade had sent Naruto home, telling the boy his friend and teammate was fine and in no immediate danger. She certainly wasn't going to allow him to stay with the girl. He'd only just gotten back! And if she knew Naruto – which she did – the idiot would stay by Sakura's side all night. She was _definitely_ not up to dealing with a sleep-deprived loudmouth. Though, she mused, perhaps then he wouldn't be so loud. Before she could consider the idea any further however, she remembered something _very_ important: she needed her sake.

* * *

(1) Remember in chapter one, the voice that told Sakura to run, that her son was coming, blah, blah, blah? That was Mikoto. 

(2) Sake _is_ alcohol, right? (I'm not old enough to drink and I haven't watched/read the series all that closely, so I don't know.)

(3) Did any of you understand that? Lemme know if you didn't, and I'll try to explain it better.

(4) Sorry, guys. I had just finished watching Millenium Actress when I wrote that scene. The line "You will forever burn in the flames of eternal love!" (I think that's how it went) inspired that. Geez, that old lady creeped me out. "I hate you. More than I can bear. And I love you. More than I can bear." The way she said it, and the look on her face…_so_ disturbing. -shudders-

So, what'd you guys think? Was Tsunade OOC at all? And what about Mikoto? Sakura? Naruto?

I might bring Sasuke into the story next chapter. And I'll definitely start explaining more about him. It'll become obvious later, but for now, just remember: chibi Sasuke and awesome missing-nin Sasuke. They're not the same characters. Chibi Sasuke is a ghost and awesome missing-nin Sasuke is not. Remember that. It might be important later. (Might. I dunno yet. I haven't gotten that far in planning.)

Next chapter will hopefully be out soon. Hopefully.


	4. Dreams

Sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 4: Dreams

Sakura sat rigidly in front of Mikoto, staring intensely at the small, glowing orb the woman held.

"Are you ready?" Mikoto asked the girl. Sakura nodded determinedly and reached for the orb.

"Remember, find Sasuke and leave. That's it. Don't stay any longer than you absolutely have to. Leave as soon as you can." Mikoto reminded her.

"Right." Sakura nodded again, as Mikoto delicately placed the orb in her waiting arms.

"Think of Sasuke. Think of Sasuke, and nothing else." The woman told the girl as she clasped the orb tightly. Sakura nodded, before closing her eyes. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Mikoto frowned and reached a hand out to lightly touch the girl's arm.

"Don't try so hard. What are your fondest memories of Sasuke? Hold them in your mind. Think of Sasuke, and relax. It'll come." She told Sakura. Immediately, Sakura calmed. Her brow relaxed and Mikoto soon became aware of a steadily growing aura around the girl. Before it vanished altogether with Sakura, leaving nothing but the orb, glowing a bright pink and falling rapidly. Instantly, Mikoto reached out ghostly arms to catch it and it fell safely into her hands. She clutched it to herself desperately.

"Sakura, find my baby…please…" Her whispered plea went unheard.

* * *

When Sakura came to, she was laying on what she assumed was grass. Slowly, she opened her eyes and nearly screamed as she came face to face with the exact person she'd been looking for. Her surprise must have been obvious, for there was a distinct smirk on his face as he spoke.

"Sakura." He acknowledged, purposefully leaving off any honorific. He said it casually, as though he'd seen her just a day ago at training with Kakashi and not _three fucking years ago while leaving the village!_ She narrowed her eyes.

"Sasuke-san." His eyes widened slightly and the smirk fell off his face when he heard "-san" rather than the expected "-kun."

_That's right, bastard. I'm over you now._ Sakura felt guilty even thinking it. She distinctly remembered her mother's words from her childhood.

_"I don't like him anymore, Mama!" She told the woman vehemently. Her mother smiled and shook her head before responding._

_"You keep telling yourself that, Sakura-chan. But you can't lie to yourself, not for long. Your own heart will betray you." She told the girl. And Sakura believed it with all her heart._

Sakura was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a pair of voices. Immediately, she jumped to her feet, kunai raised defensively. Sasuke ignored her, watching the trees with an unreadable expression. Sakura thought his reaction peculiar, as it wasn't a valued trait for a ninja to let his guard down, even for a moment, but didn't take her eyes off the pair emerging from the nearby forest. They approached in a slow, leisurely fashion, but the older of the two was clearly on the alert for attackers. The younger, however, was not.

"Aniki, will you help me train again tomorrow? Please?" (1) Sakura smiled, the child seemed so endearing, with his sweet voice and adorable, pleading face.

"Perhaps." Sakura's blood ran cold. The older boy's voice…she'd recognize the voice of the cold-blooded traitor from the horror stories she'd heard as a child anywhere. It was the voice of Itachi.

* * *

Kakashi strode casually into the hospital room that held his former student, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world – to most people. However, to those that knew him well enough to tell (which was a very small number indeed), his sole visible eye shone with concern for the girl.

Sakura lay still as could be on the bed in front of him. He almost wondered if the hokage's apprentice was even alive, but she had to have been, or Tsunade would've already told him (he hoped).

What could've caused Sakura's sudden comatose state? He thought back to the conversation he'd had with the hokage only a few hours before.

_A medic nin ran up to Kakashi as he entered the hospital. She was young, he noted, with frizzy red hair. Probably new, as well, judging by the flustered look on her face._

_"Haruno Sakura has had an accident and the hokage wishes to see you. If you'd follow me please." She spoke quickly, before turning and walking briskly down the hall. Perhaps not quite so new, he mused, as the woman (girl?) led him down the corridor in an efficient, orderly manner._

_They reached Tsunade's hospital office (2) and she gave two sharp raps on the door._

_"Come in." The voice was weary. Obediently she turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into the room with Kakashi._

_"I have brought Kakashi-san, as you requested, Hokage-sama." Nope, definitely not new. The voice was calm and level, without a single sign of emotion – other than respect, but that was to be expected of anyone speaking to their leader. _

_"Yes, thank you, Hitomi-san. You may leave." (3) Tsunade dismissed the younger woman (for it had become apparent that she was certainly not a child). Hitomi bowed and left silently, shutting the door behind her almost as quietly._

_Kakashi looked at Tsunade in a calm, almost bored fashion. She looked back at him not with the sharp look he'd expected, but with a world-weary expression. Her eyes were alert, however, even as the rest of her showed signs of exhaustion. Not chakra exhaustion, he noted, but instead a mental exhaustion usually only seen in those that had suffered a great loss and in medic nins who'd lost patients to death's cold, unrelenting grasp. Perhaps Sakura's condition had upset her? Kakashi found himself feeling somewhat uneasy at the thought._

_"Sakura's in a coma." Her voice lacked its usual strength, showing Kakashi just how tired the woman was. The slight, almost unnoticeable widening of his sole visible eye was the only outward sign of his surprise. He refrained from commenting, waiting for the woman to elaborate._

_"It's possible she hit her head somehow." Kakashi wasn't stupid. He heard the lie in her voice, saw it in her eyes. And what would Sakura have done that she would hit her head in the _village_ of all places? Unless she was attacked, of course. But it was still highly unlikely._

_"It's too early to tell if she'll wake up." Tsunade finished. Kakashi frowned at that, not that Tsunade could see it behind his mask. If even Tsunade wasn't sure…_

_"Sakura is in Room D206." (4) Her tone was hard, almost cold, and professional. Kakashi took that as his dismissal and turned to leave. He paused as he walked out the door, sparing a glance over his shoulder at the hokage._

_Tsunade had turned away from him to stare out the window. For obvious reasons, Kakashi couldn't see her face, but he could see her posture. It was a slight change, visible only to the trained eye, from how she'd looked only moments before. She held herself tall, as always, but her shoulders were slightly hunched forward and raised, almost as though the woman were holding back tears – but that couldn't be it, he reasoned. There was no way Tsunade would cry, not even when all hope was lost, let alone when chances of recovery were so high – unless there was something she wasn't telling him, and if that were the case, Sakura's chances of recovery were very slim indeed._

_Kakashi forced himself not to continue such a morbid train of thought. After all, he was about to go see the comatose girl, he couldn't be worried – it'd ruin his reputation. He couldn't be emotionless if he so obviously cared about his students. So he left, pulling a copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_ out of his pocket and reading as he walked. It wouldn't do to dwell on such thoughts._

Kakashi frowned. Naruto had been the one to find Sakura. He'd have to speak with the boy at some point to see what he knew (though, knowing Naruto, he wouldn't know much). He turned and walked out of the room, intent on finding the loudmouthed ninja.

* * *

Itachi didn't appear to take any notice of either Sakura or Sasuke as he strode past them with his adoring younger brother. Sakura looked at Sasuke nervously, _why wasn't he attacking Itachi?_

Sasuke took no notice of Sakura's fear – he had eyes only for Itachi and himself. He stared at Itachi in silence for a few more moments, before his gaze flickered to his younger self. The younger boy was oblivious to the possible dangers of being out in the open like he was, trusting his beloved older brother to protect him.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned, forgetting to replace "-kun" with "-san" in her anxiety. He finally turned to look at her blankly.

"Where are we?" She asked quietly. Sasuke's blank look slipped away briefly as the boy gave an uncharacteristic, sorrowful smile.

"In my dreams." He whispered, before the heartless, cold mask slammed back into place.

* * *

(1) Aniki Older Brother

(2) I'm assuming that Tsunade has two offices, one in the hospital and one in the hokage tower. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'll change it if I am).

(3) Hitomi is a Japanese name meant for a female (I think…) and means "Blue Eyes." She's not important, though, so you don't have to worry about a Mary Sue coming into play. She probably won't make another appearance in the story. She's just there because I needed someone to take Kakashi to the office and I was too lazy to write Shizune (I've only seen one episode with her in it, so I don't really feel like writing about her just yet). I wasn't even going to give the poor woman a name, but then I decided the story would probably flow better if I did. (What was Tsunade supposed to say if I didn't, "Leave, oh nameless one?") And I picked the name Hitomi because it was the first one I saw that I liked for her. …And that was a very long explanation for a name, of all things. XD

(4) Does anyone know how the hospital rooms are really numbered? D206 is actually my homeroom number at school... (I wasn't feeling very creative when I wrote that scene.)

This chapter is almost 1,500 words long. Not as long as I'd like, but still longer than the other chapters. I would've made it longer, but I couldn't think of anything else to put for Sakura and Sasuke, and there absolutely has to be a transition before Kakashi and Naruto talk. And a new chapter seems like the perfect one.

So…excuses for the wait. I have a number of them, though none of them are all that great (but they're true, and the ones I wanted to post weren't). Let's see…my puppy… _homework_…my puppy…my sister is movie-obsessed and insists I watch as many as possible with her every week...one of our dogs (not the puppy) died…my mom spent like half of school vacation interrogating me on where I wanted to go for summer vacation…my puppy…Harvest Moon (Rune Factory)…my puppy…Loveless (the anime)…my puppy…pathetic attempts at Fullmetal Alchemist AMVs…and my puppy. Also, my sister kept coming in while I was typing to hover over me, so I had to stop several times – I don't want her reading this, and I _definitely_ don't want her telling Mom I'm typing when I should be doing homework.

…Did I mention my puppy? He turned a year old on April 2 – earlier this month! …He really was distracting, I've been training him. He knows sit, shake, lay down, roll over, stay, head down, wait, peekaboo, heel, high-five, and "Which hand holds the treat?" And I'm working with him on limp, say your prayers, play dead, beg, and fetch. Irritatingly, he knows fetch, he just doesn't usually do it. He chases the ball and then walks away to go sniff something. He's getting close with the other tricks, though. …Sorry, I'm getting off-topic. (But I had to say _something_ about him!)

Again, I'm really sorry this took so long to write. It should have been done over a month ago, but it didn't really work out (obviously). I had to keep rewriting Sasuke and Sakura's meeting, and I'm _still_ not happy with it. Which reminds me, if anyone has any idea how to fix that, please tell me! Was Sasuke too OOC? What about Sakura? And Kakashi? And Tsunade? And dream Sasuke and Itachi?


	5. Of Death and Gates

Really, really, really sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 5: Of Death and Gates

_"In my dreams." He whispered, before the heartless, cold mask slammed back into place._

Sakura stared at him. At that moment, she very much wished she were talking to someone else, anyone else, because maybe then she could have thought they were joking.

It didn't make sense, really. After all, she could feel the grass, wet with morning dew, beneath her. In dreams, a person couldn't feel, could they?

But Sasuke was completely serious. He wasn't one to crack jokes, and Sakura, of all people, knew that.

Though, there was always a chance…She slowly reached out towards him with her hand. Slowly…Ever so slowly…

* * *

Kakashi knocked once before strolling casually into his former student's apartment. He saw the blonde immediately jump up from his seat on the couch (1), clearly startled. He took the boy's momentary surprise for advantage, instantly beginning his questioning.

"Where did you find her?"

"Uh…Who?" Naruto blinked owlishly.

"Sakura."

"Oh! …In front of the Uchiha District, Sensei."

"The gate?" Kakashi questioned, just to be sure.

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded.

"And she was already passed out?"

"Yeah." Another nod.

Kakashi contemplated this for a few moments. And then…

"…Naruto, would you be willing to take a short walk with me?"

* * *

Sakura touched her hand to Sasuke's lightly. Slowly, the boy tore his eyes from Itachi to glance at them, before looking back at her with a slightly odd, unreadable expression.

Sure enough, though Sakura could feel Sasuke's skin underneath hers, it was cold, almost icily so. But it wasn't transparent, to her relief. And so she had a question to ask her former teammate (who was still staring at her with that odd look – which was really starting to creep her out).

"Uh…Sasuke-kun?" No! She was supposed to say "-san," dammit! Now he was going to think she still fangirled him or something! (Which might have been accurate…)

Well, regardless of Inner Sakura's annoyance at Sakura's slipup, Sasuke immediately looked away. Inner Sakura noted (rather triumphantly) the slight (very, very slight – not that she'd ever admit that) pinkish tinge to his cheeks.

"Hn?" Oh, great. It was back to one-syllable responses. Those were _so_ annoying. She had to bite back the urge to sigh in irritation.

"Mikoto-san said -" She started.

"You met my mother?" Sasuke cut her off. She blinked, wasn't Sasuke supposed to be smart enough to figure that out just from "Mikoto-san said?"

"Well, yes. She was in the Uchiha District."

"Sakura, my mother is in the _cemetery_. She's _dead_." He frowned, sounding rather annoyed, and slightly hurt, but only slightly. She could've been imagining it. She was becoming quite confused, after all.

"I know. But I saw her ghost. She said -"

"Sakura." He cut her off. "My mother is _dead_."

"But -"

"No. She's dead, Sakura. And she's not coming back." She looked at him with wide eyes, almost in shock. Okay, so now she felt bad for him. Truthfully, Inner Sakura wanted to hug him, but _that_ would be dumb. One didn't hug an Uchiha, not if they valued their life. So she settled for a breathy whisper of his name.

"Sasuke-kun…" The boy suddenly laughed, a hollow sound that sent chills down her spine.

"I almost forgot. I'm dreaming." Now she was really confused, hadn't he already told her that?

"Sasuke-kun, I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I'm dreaming. You're not really here." He turned to stare at her sadly, almost wistfully. "My subconscious mind imagined you, because I…(2)" He trailed off.

"Because you what?" She murmured, almost under her breath. Did Sasuke really dream about her? But he shook his head, refusing to give her the answer she so desired.

"It doesn't matter." He said simply. And then he began to fade.

* * *

"Sensei, where are we going?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Just a walk around Konoha." Well, sure, _that_ made sense. Because high-ranking ninjas like Kakashi just randomly decided to stroll around Konoha with one of their former students while another one of their former students was laying in a hospital bed and their other former student was on a manhunt for their older brother. (Well, maybe they did. Kakashi had always been a little weird that way.)

And then they stopped in front of the gate. Not a gate. _The_ gate. As in, the gate to the freakiest place _ever_. (Really, it was no wonder Sasuke was so odd, coming from a place like that.)

"Uh, Sensei?"

"Yes?" Why the hell did he sound so cheerful? Didn't he realize this was _the_ gate?

"Uh, we're not actually going in there, are we? I mean, we're just walking around the village, right?" Naruto asked nervously. He could swear there was something ominous about the place (3).

Kakashi answered his question by pushing open the gate. Naruto froze, and even Kakashi paused momentarily.

_What the hell?_ Naruto was getting really nervous now. Killing intent was rolling off the place in waves. Which was fine, really, except that _no one was there_. The whole place stunk of death and blood. And fear. There was nothing living there. He was now fairly sure he hadn't been just imagining the ominous air that seemed to hang about the place. Now he understood, really, why Sasuke had moved out. There was something distinctly, fundamentally _wrong_ about the Uchiha District. It was almost as if the Uchiha Clan itself was there, all two-hundred-something (4) of its members hungering for blood.

* * *

(1) Does Naruto have a couch?

(2) Okay, the whole dream explanation. big breath In a dream, the mind at work is called your "subconscious." The subconscious (ick, big word) mind knows what you really want and all that good stuff. Like, you know when people say, "deep down, he loves her" and crap like that? Well, the subconscious mind is "deep down," if you wanna think of it like that. So, like, say Sasuke wanted to see his mom really bad. Even if he refused to admit to himself that he wanted to see her, his subconscious mind would know, and it _might_ dream her up for him to see. Of course, that doesn't always happen. But sometimes it does. And because Sasuke's rather smart (not as smart as Shikamaru or Sakura, but still pretty smart), he thinks his subconscious mind dreamed her up. Does that mean he dreams about her a lot? Does it mean he wants to see her really bad? Well, I suppose…NOT TELLING!! (Muhahahahaha!)

(3) Yeah, he didn't really notice anything in chapter two because, honestly, I think Naruto has a one-track mind. Therefore, he was too preoccupied with Sakura to notice anything off about the gate – or, for that matter, that he was at _the_ gate, as I've decided to have him call it. And doesn't that gate bother anybody else? I'm dead serious, it's creepy!

(4) Does anyone know how many members of the Uchiha clan were alive (and in the village) at the time of the massacre? Whenever I read fics about it, I usually see numbers in the 200s, but they vary (from like 206 to around 267). Since I didn't know, and since I was leaning towards Naruto's POV (what's that called, 3rd person omnition?), I just left it at that.

And if Sasuke seems somewhat (or possibly majorly…) OOC after he remembers he's dreaming, it's because he realizes that he's dreaming and therefore he thinks Sakura isn't really there, he thinks she's like a figment of his imagination or something. …And yes, it's possible to know that you're dreaming. It's called a lucid dream, I believe.

Really, really sorry this took so long. (It's been what, three months?) I've had three 5-7 month old foster puppies (two of them were lab mixes – not fun), loads of homework, and finals. But one of the foster puppies (the male lab mix) has now gone to another foster home, and school (and therefore homework and finals) is now OVER, so the next 5 or so chapters should (with luck) be out within the next month or two. I'm shooting for ten chapters total, so we should be, theoretically, about half done right now. (I'm finishing this before summer's over. End of story.)

In case anyone's curious, I don't really remember why Sakura touches Sasuke's hand at the start of the chapter. I think she was trying to make sure that either 1) it really was Sasuke, or 2) he wasn't a ghost or anything weird.

Oh, and this is kind of off-topic (as it doesn't relate to this chapter) but I'm not planning any sappy, icky romance scenes as of yet, so you can all relax. XD

…I almost forgot! Fireworks are tonight, which means…Happy July 4th, everybody!


	6. Souls

**Author's Note: (Please read!)** I have decided to take this story up again. I apologize to all of my readers for updating more than a year late. I can't really say much in my defense: I lost two dogs since I posted chapter six (by lost I mean we had to put them down, they were 14 years old and 16 1/2 years old) and my grandfather died (I'm far more upset about the dogs - how can I care about a man who left everything to his second wife and only visited us two or three times a year?), but none of that really had anything to do with not updating. I had writer's block for a long while, became very busy, and then I sort of forgot about this. I'm now extremely busy, but I'll try to update anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 6: Souls

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura wasn't panicking. Absolutely not. A kunoichi didn't panic. Therefore, Sakura was _not _panicking. Just because Sasuke was fading away right in front of her eyes was no reason to panic. Right. Definitely.

"I'm waking up," Sasuke smiled gently at Sakura as he faded. Damn, he was really fading _fast_. How the hell was she supposed to bring him back like this? Speaking of which, Mikoto hadn't really mentioned how Sakura was going to get back. …And wasn't she supposed to have already left with Sasuke? Whoops.

So…improvation. She'd have to improvise. Which meant…crap. She wracked her mind for ideas, but found she couldn't come up with anything. And then…

"Now!" Who the hell was that!?! Sasuke certainly didn't sound like that! He wasn't a woman! So, who – oh. It was Mikoto. She wasn't being very helpful, though. Sakura really could've used some advice just then.

Well, she supposed there were only so many things she could do. She grabbed at Sasuke's hand. This time when she touched him, however, she felt something course through her. She didn't know what it was, but it was calming, soft. It couldn't have been chakra, she figured it had to have been the orb's power. Whatever it was, it flowed through her like water through a stream, and she saw a soft pink aura begin to emanate from both herself and Sasuke.

Slowly, Sasuke stopped fading. But everything around the pair then began to fade. Sakura felt warm, and then…nothing. Her world went black as she slipped into oblivion.

* * *

Kakashi stepped into the Uchiha District, Naruto following close behind. Curiosity now overpowered the boy's instinctual fear.

"Did you know, Naruto, that one of the most well-known horror stories of Konoha directly relates to the Uchiha District?" Kakashi spoke.

"Um, no?" Well, that was a little creepy.

"Oh, yes, mothers often tell it to their children at night, just before they go to bed. To keep them from wandering outside during the night. Would you like to hear it?"

"Uh, sure?" Not really, no. Not if it was as creepy as it sounded.

"Every year since the downfall of the Uchiha Clan, someone has gone missing. That someone is always relatively young, never any older than twenty. Most commonly, that missing person is a young girl, usually between the ages of six and eighteen. The girl is lured outside, with visions of long-lost friends and relatives, sometimes even a beloved pet. The girl follows these visions through the village, and to the Uchiha District. And then…" Kakashi gave a dramatic pause.

"And then?" Naruto prompted.

"No one knows. The next morning, her dead body is found at the gate to the Uchiha District. And no one can ever tell how she died. She seems perfectly fine, no blood or anything on her. No sign of heart attack or illness, and no sign of a struggle. Just the body. Almost as if her soul was sucked out."

* * *

When Sakura came to, she was lying on the bed in Itachi's room, Sasuke's hand still clutched in hers, and Mikoto sitting quietly in a chair next to the bed, sewing a rip in a black garment she held (probably a shirt, but Sakura didn't care enough to find out). Sasuke was lying next to her, presumably still unconscious. But then he opened one eye slightly and stared at her. The message was obvious – he was feigning unconsciousness in order to listen to her upcoming discussion with Mikoto and hopefully figure out what the hell was going on before he was forced to speak with his long-dead mother. She flashed him a quick, reassuring smile to let him know she understood, and the eye closed once again.

Sakura sat up slowly, keeping a firm grip on Sasuke's hand (Inner Sakura rejoiced when there was no protest from the boy – though that was probably only so Mikoto would still think him unconscious). Mikoto smiled warmly at her.

"You've done it, Sakura-chan. You've brought my Sasuke back to me." Said act seemed to have endeared her to the woman, if the "-chan" she had added to the girl's name was any indication. Sakura couldn't resist smiling back. But then she heard a voice, and she saw Mikoto freeze.

"Mom, Mom!" A little boy was calling. Instantly, Mikoto stood.

"Stay here." She whispered. "Try not to make any noise. I'll be back when it's safe."

Sakura nodded and lay back down next to Sasuke. Mikoto opened the door slightly and slid silently out, shutting it behind her as quietly as possible. Sakura heard her speaking quietly to the child.

"Hello, Sasuke-chan." (1) Sakura barely kept herself from gasping, and she saw Sasuke's eyes shoot open next to her. Was Sasuke's ghost here as well? But how was that possible? Sasuke was still alive, he was lying next to her.

* * *

"Her _soul_!?!" Naruto choked out.

"Indeed." Kakashi replied casually.

"And you think that's what happened to Sakura-chan?" Naruto swallowed. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"It's a possibility." Kakashi shrugged, seeming indifferent.

"But…wouldn't she be dead then?" Naruto was hoping Kakashi was wrong, that Sakura's soul was still within her body.

"No. The body can function without the soul for a long time, so long as the soul remains active somewhere. Once the soul is terminated, however, the body will die." (2) Kakashi said this almost cheerfully. (It really freaked Naruto out.)

"S-so…If Sakura-chan's soul was really…sucked out…how would we get it…uh…not sucked out?" Naruto was nervous, and it showed in his speaking pattern.

"We can't." Kakashi replied darkly.

* * *

Sakura listened silently to the conversation taking place in the hallway, and it seemed as though Sasuke did as well.

"Mom, everybody's upset. How come?" Chibi (3) Sasuke (for that was what Sakura had decided to call him, marveling at how sweetly adorable and generally un-Sasuke-like the child sounded) was asking.

"Something very important has gone missing, darling." Sakura tensed, and Sasuke stared at her in confusion. Was Mikoto referring to her? Were the Uchihas looking for her?

"What's missing, Mom?" Sakura waited with baited breath for Mikoto's answer.

"The sacrifice, sweetie." Sakura felt chills run down her spine as Sasuke gave her a questioning look.

* * *

(1) I'm pretty sure Mikoto called Sasuke that. I think it's common in Japanese culture for people to attach the "-chan" suffix to the names of both girls and young children. Let me know if I'm wrong and she calls him something else though.

(2) Okay, so here I'm going with the assumption that although the soul and body are connected, the soul can exist without the body (as is the case with the Uchiha clan), and the body can exist without the soul (as is the case with Sakura). The soul can live on even if the body dies. And so long as the soul is active _somewhere_, the body can, if healthy, live on without it. But if the soul "dies," the body will die. (So, once the Uchiha clan uses Sakura's soul to fuel their suspended animation, Sakura will die. And thus, the deadline. The significance of the new moon to all this shall be explained later on.) And yes, I am a huge fan of FMA and that IS where the "soul but no body" and "body but no soul" thing came from. (But, no, Sakura is not being used to make a Philosopher's Stone.)

(3) Chibi = Small, young, or mini


	7. Of Sacrifices and Dumb Blondes

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 7: Of Sacrifices and Dumb Blondes

_"The sacrifice, sweetie." Sakura felt chills run down her spine as Sasuke gave her a questioning look._

Sakura's eyes flitted about nervously as Sasuke stared at her. This only seemed to confuse the boy further, however, as he still had no idea what was really going on (though he was trying to hide it quite desperately – he was a prodigy, dammit, not an incompetent fool). Sakura was sure he had a basic understanding of the situation. They were somehow, miraculously, in a room that was supposedly safe from the ghosts that somehow, also miraculously, surrounded them in a district that should have been deserted. And there was something about a sacrifice. Totally normal. Really. Nothing strange about it.

As Sasuke stared at her in silent question, before recognizing the fact that she would not be forthcoming on the answer. He narrowed his eyes, glancing her up and down (which Sakura found just a little bit creepy), before Sakura saw realization slowly beginning to dawn in the boy's eyes. And then shock. Followed almost immediately by a look of downright loathing. (For who, exactly, she didn't know.) She was the sacrifice. And he knew it.

"_No_," he whispered angrily. She gave him a warning glance, though her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Really, she was touched that he was so concerned (Inner Sakura started tapdancing, once she recovered from the shock). But she knew Mikoto had meant it when she said to keep quiet. Unfortunately, it seemed Chibi Sasuke had already heard.

"Mom, what was that?" Sakura froze as she heard the little boy's suspicious voice.

"It was probably just a mouse, dear." Sakura sagged in relief as Mikoto easily fielded the question. "Why aren't you out playing with the other children?"

"Dad says I have to stay out of the way," Chibi Sasuke said sadly, seeming to immediately forget the noise (Sakura noted that even Sasuke must have had a short attention span as a child). Sakura could tell from his voice that he was pouting, though it was hard believe that Sasuke of all people could actually _pout_. (Inner Sakura cooed at the thought, though it was rather difficult to picture Sasuke pouting.)

"Well, then, why don't you practice your throwing?" (1) Mikoto seemed to be trying to get her son's mind off the sacrifice and the noise. Sakura was well aware that the boy could, if given the chance, put two and two together to figure out that she was hiding in the house. There was a pause before he spoke again, this time much more quietly and timidly.

"…Will Aniki come home and practice with me soon if I get better?" Sakura cringed inwardly. The poor boy sounded so hopeful, she found herself giving what must have been his older counterpart a pitying look. (She got a death glare in return. Sasuke made it clear he didn't need or want her sympathy.) Mikoto hesitated before answering.

"…I'm sure he will, sweetheart." Sakura could hear the pain in the older woman's voice, though she knew she was trying to hide it.

"Okay, Mom!" The excitement in Chibi Sasuke's voice pulled at Sakura's heartstrings, knowing the boy's beloved older brother would never be coming back. Though she heard no footsteps, she knew he was going back outside.

* * *

"What do you _mean_ we can't fix it?!" Naruto cried.

"It's not possible. If there's any way for Sakura's soul to return to her body, it has to be on her own power. We can't get involved."

"No, we've gotta help her! She needs us!" He wailed frantically, pulling at his cornstalk yellow hair. There was no way they could just turn back and leave Sakura-chan on her own! What if something even worse happened to her? What if she (Naruto swallowed anxiously as the terrible thought came unbidden) _died?_

"Sakura can take care of herself. If she can't get herself out of the situation, we certainly won't be able to."

* * *

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said gloomily, head hanging low.

"Hm?"

"Do you…do you think Sasuke has anything to do with it?" He hated to ask, hated to bring any possible suspicion on Sasuke, but he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Sasuke was involved, somehow. He just knew it.

Kakashi stopped suddenly, startled by the question. He stood silently a moment, before responding.

"What makes you ask that, Naruto?"

"Well, it's the Uchiha District, right? Sasuke's an Uchiha."

"Naruto, I don't think…This whole thing reeks of foul play. And while Sasuke may be capable of involvement in something as gruesome as this, I don't think he's to blame here. Remember, none of the victims have been older than 20 and most have been villagers, not ninjas – whoever is doing this is cold-hearted enough to be willing to kill defenseless children."

Though Naruto suspected others in his village would consider Sasuke cruel enough to do such things, he truly felt his former teammate would never stoop so low. It was just…Sasuke was involved in it all. He didn't know how, but he knew he was. He sighed, and was about to respond when Kakashi shushed him.

"Keep quiet," he whispered, "there's someone here."

Naruto went rigid. What kind of a freak hung out in the Uchiha District? Hell, there was blood everywhere. On the ground, on the walls of the houses and stores, on signs and doors, everywhere he looked there was blood. It was nauseating, what kind of person would willingly walk around in it? Only the heartless, he was sure.

He heard a laugh, melodic and sweet, coming from behind him.

"Naruto, don't look."

But Kakashi was too late. Naruto was already turning toward the sound. A beautiful woman with flaming red hair (2) stood there, smiling warmly at him.

"Naruto, darling, come to Mommy," she crooned, opening her arms to him. Naruto knew he should run, because dammit, his parents were _dead_, but he couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze from the woman. His feet began to move forward, unbidden.

"Mom…" He whispered. He heard Kakashi's angry protests behind him, but found he no longer cared what his sensei thought. All that mattered was the woman standing in front of him, her eyes bright and warm.

And then Kakashi threw his kunai at her.

"_Mom!_"

* * *

(1) As in throwing ninja weapons (i.e. kunai, shuriken, etc.), before anyone takes that the wrong way. (I'm not entirely sure how anyone could, but you never know.)

(2) Does anyone remember what color hair Naruto's mom has? I think it was orange or red, but I'm not sure.

So, is Sasuke in love with Sakura? Why was he so ticked off that she was the sacrifice? I'll leave that to you to decide, my dear readers. XD As I said previously (in one of the first chapters, I believe), there will be no SasuSaku fluff in this story. Probably not even a kiss. …Well, maybe on the hand. Gah! Spoilers! (Actually, I haven't decided the ending yet, so maybe not.)

I'm sorry this chapter was on the short side (and may still need some editing), by the way. I was planning on lengthening it, but I had a minor delay. -.- I spent three hours searching everywhere within a mile of my house for our new dog. (Picked him up today on trial placement. He's gorgeous, totally worth the two-hour round trip drive to get him.) He's terrified of people, so we had some issues, to say the least. (Previous foster parents drove up to help.) Anywho, thanks for reading my excuse, and if you find any issues with this chapter, please let me know, because as I said, I didn't totally finish editing. And no, you can't have Boris. He's miiiiine.


	8. The Illusions

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Haunted

Chapter 8: The Illusions

_ And then Kakashi threw his kunai at her._

_ "Mom!"_

The flying kunai shocked Naruto out of his trance, causing him to instantly start forward to protect his mother. But he didn't move quickly enough, and she was struck.

Before Naruto's eyes, the red-haired beauty shimmered as the kunai sailed through her heart. Or, rather, where her heart should have been. She continued to smile warmly, unaware of Kakashi's attack. Naruto's eyes widened slowly in the beginnings of true realization.

"Naruto, darling, come to Mommy," she repeated softly.

Naruto shook, confusion making him anxious and leaving his nerves unstable as the woman started toward him. He remained stationary, feet routed to the ground as she reached to wrap her arms around him, enfolding him in a mother's embrace. He had never felt so loved, so special, and, despite her snowflake skin, cold as death, he had never felt so _warm_.

* * *

Sasuke immediately closed his eyes and resumed his feigned unconsciousness as Mikoto opened the door and stole silently back into the room, eyes immediately landing on her teenage son. Sakura couldn't miss the incredible warmth in the woman's eyes as she strode over, gently laying a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He went completely rigid, holding his breath.

"Sasuke, honey? Are you awake?" (1) she whispered, leaning over the young ninja. Sasuke wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, respond. Mikoto waited a moment before forcefully rolling him over and pinching his nose. Instantly, his eyes flew open and he jerked away, sitting up.

"Cut it out!" he snapped, obviously annoyed. Sakura shrank back at the sight of the fuming boy, but Mikoto merely smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around him. That just melted him. He went limp in her embrace.

"Mom?" he whispered.

"Mm?"

"Am I still dreaming?"

"This whole world is a dream."

He was silent for a long moment.

"Can we…stay here? With you? Forever?" (2)

"I wish that was possible, but it isn't," she murmured.

"Why not?"

"Sooner or later, darling, you're going to have to wake up," she sighed and pulled back, "We don't have long. They'll keep looking for you, Sakura-chan, and the search will only get worse the closer we come to the new moon."

"What do we need to do?" Sakura asked.

"There's an object where the sacrifices are kept, all of the past ones, and that we are all tied to. It's another orb, just like this one," she pointed to her pink orb, which rested on the floor, "This one channels the power from the other."

Sakura grimaced. Had she been using the power from those deaths? Talk about black magic!

"I don't know where the other is, it moves with every sacrifice, and it's always hidden. If you destroy it, though, everything will be released. We'll move on into the afterlife, and those poor girls trapped in the orb will as well. And your soul will return to your body."

The pair digested this information. Sakura was the first to recover, Sasuke still rather put out by his mother's declaration that he could not stay.

"So how can we find it? Won't we get caught snooping around?"

"You'll take this orb with you. It should lead you to the other. You will have to be careful traveling around, but I'll do my best to slow the search."

"So, when do we leave? At daytime? Tomorrow night?"

"It's always night here, Sakura-chan. Everything is just as it was moments before Itachi drew his sword. The weather is perfect, the flowers are always in bloom, and time never passes," she smiled sadly.

"How will we know when its too late then?"

"The moon. The moon is the only thing that changes. It's just a sliver of a crescent now, you only have about two days left. You'll have to leave soon."

"How can we hide?"

"The orb may help you, to a point. You'll both be invisible if you stand still. You must be in contact with each other, though, and the slightest movement will reveal you," she warned.

The orb pulsed suddenly, and they all turned to look at it. Mikoto scooped it back up the floor and frowned.

"That may be a problem."

"What is it?" Sakura demanded.

"We have company," she held it out for them to see and Sakura gasped. Sasuke looked at it impassively.

Naruto and Kakashi stood there, with a blurry, indistinct figure. The figure had its arms wrapped around Naruto.

"Why are they here?" she whispered anxiously. Could they get sucked in too?

"Looking for you, probably. But they've triggered the safeguards now. You'll have to hurry if you want to save them – those illusions are only going to get stronger as they come farther into the compound. They'll have a better shot because they're together, but those illusions are meant to _eliminate_ intruders. This happened with one of the other girls, her poor mother came here looking for clues about her death…" she trailed off.

"What happened to her?" Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"The illusions appeared to her, and she danced with what she thought was her little girl, straight into the lake. She drowned." (3)

* * *

Kakashi stared at the scene unfolding in front of him in shock. He could have sworn even Naruto had more intelligence than that. Honestly, to fall for such a trick…But then the blond spoke, quietly, in a suddenly hoarse, pained voice that was hardly more than a whisper.

"You're not my mom." The woman went rigid, suddenly letting go and straightening to her full height.

"Of course I am, sweetheart. Why would you -" she began, but Naruto cut her off, stepping backwards, away from her.

"You're not her. You can't be, because she's dead," his voice was growing softly as he became more certain in his conviction, "and you're not _real_!"

Kakashi had to smirk faintly behind his mask. So Naruto wasn't as stupid as he seemed. Well, not quite as stupid. He was definitely pretty close.

The beautiful woman began to fade. As she did, she stepped forward and softly kissed her only child's forehead. A soft wind blew a sea of cherry blossoms into the pair, and she vanished with the flowers, as though carried away on that strange wind.

* * *

(1) I figured she should drop the "-chan," since he's not a baby anymore. But does that mean she should call him "Sasuke-kun" or something? I don't really understand all the prefixes.

(2) Did you catch the "we" there? As in Sasuke and Sakura? -squeal- That's implied SasuSaku, right there!

(3) That kind of creeped me out, writing that. -shudders-

I'm really sorry for the delay again, I didn't realize it's been so long since I posted Chapter 7! I really had no plan for this chapter. None whatsoever. But what really, really stumped me was the new manga chapters. Poor, poor Sasuke! Poor Itachi! I mean, what am I supposed to do after reading some of those? I totally misunderstood Itachi, who is _important_ in this story!!! He won't make an actual appearance (I think), but hello, he killed the clan! That's the foundation of my story! -pout-

'Kay. Ranting done. But the latest chapter (#483) just…I dunno. It flooded over my writer's block or something. I know what I'm doing now!


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